Harlequin Hotels & Resorts and Harlequin Developments have teamed up with Bayley’s Primary School and two local youth teams in St. Philip to launch a unique youth football training program in Barbados.
Harlequin launched the first Liverpool International Football Academy, Soccer School in August 2010 at Buccament Bay Resort in St Vincent & The Grenadines. In May 2010, Adam Flynn, an LFC Academy Elite coach, and ex-Liverpool player David Fairclough visited St Vincent & The Grenadines to select three coaches to be trained at the world famous Liverpool Academy in the UK, where they were taught to coach the “Liverpool way”. During the last 12 months, several ex-Liverpool and UK international players have visited Buccament Bay Resort to coach guests and local youths, and work with local coaches to create a talent development program in the region. Earlier this year, members of Liverpool’s Elite Academy Team visited Buccament Bay Resort and during their stay played a game against the St. Vincent under 21 team and toured local schools. The tour was followed by Liverpool Football Club TV and two shows were subsequently broadcast on LFC TV around the world.
Adam Flynn, Head Coach of International Football Academies for Liverpool Football Club, said, “We are delighted to be working with Harlequin who are bringing LFC International Football Academies to Barbados. The relationship has flourished in St Vincent where our Soccer School now works with local schools, teams and Harlequin Resort guests. We are very excited to develop similar programs in Barbados with Harlequin, which will create opportunities for the many youngsters within Barbados.”
Following the announcement, Dave Ames, Chairman of Harlequin Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are delighted to be able to launch this program in conjunction with Liverpool Football Club for the local community ahead of the opening of our new hotels and resorts here in Barbados. We hope to open our first boutique hotel, “H Barbados”, next year and The Merricks Resort, when built, will feature both a Liverpool Football Club Soccer School and a Pat Cash Tennis Academy.
“The Government and our team based in Barbados have been working together closely to ensure they have all the information needed for approval of interim concessions on both projects, which will then allow us to immediately resume work on both projects. We have been advised that these approvals are imminent.”
Helping to coordinate the Liverpool Football Club youth football training program locally is Mr. Carl Mapp, President of the local St Philip South Foundation for Education (SPSFE), a charitable organization that has partnered with Harlequin following its purchase of the former Allamanda Hotel.
The Foundation recently held a very successful sale of furniture and equipment that Harlequin had donated to them back in August 2011. Commenting on the sale, Mr. Mapp said, “This donation has helped us raise desperately needed funds to continue our efforts to purchase educational supplies for young people in the area. In addition, we were able to provide several local families with urgently needed furniture in their homes.”
Both Mapp and the Harlequin team are being assisted by the Bayley’s Primary School Principal, Mrs. Lorraine Burke, and their Games Teacher, Mr. Winfield Forde. Mr. Mapp said of the Liverpool Football Club youth football training program, “We are all very excited to have this opportunity for our youth to receive world class training with the support of Harlequin Hotels & Resorts, who are partnered with one of the world’s most successful football teams, Liverpool Football Club.”
The program will comprise a monthly Camp that will provide a unique and inspiring opportunity for the local youth to engage in playing, coaching and officiating. It is hoped that the first Camp will take place on Saturday 5th November 2011 in St. Philip, but that should be confirmed later this week.
Harlequin Hotels & Resorts also plans to bring a similar program to Barbados for tennis with the Pat Cash Tennis Academy, and is hopeful of announcing a partnership with a regional cricket organization in the near future, which would see a fantastic talent development program on the “crease”!
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